JP2000279953A - Cartridge and water purifier provided therewith, and humidifier - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a water purifier capable of utilizing a performance of ion exchange resin filled into a cartridge, and to provide a humidifier using it. SOLUTION: Wide surfaces 46 for water path are provided on an upper surface and a bottom surface of a flat cartridge 19, and water passing length between both water passing surfaces 46 is shortened. A water introduction path 48 penetrating through both water passing surfaces 46 is provided on the cartridge 19. A space 54 for water introduction corresponding to the water passing surface 46 on the bottom of the cartridge 19 is provided on the water purifier equipped with the cartridge 19. Water is introduced into the space 54 through a water introduction path 48 from the upper part, and is allowed to flow from the bottom of the cartridge 19 towards the upper surface to be excellently purified.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cartridge filled with an ion exchange resin, a water purifier using the cartridge, and a humidifier equipped with the cartridge type water purifier.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a steam fan type humidifier is widely used as a humidifier. In this type of humidifier, water such as tap water stored in a water supply tank is supplied to an evaporating dish, and the evaporating dish is heated by a heater to generate steam, blown up by a fan and sent out into the indoor air, and Humidify the air.

[0003] In such a steam fan type humidifier, when water such as tap water is evaporated by an evaporating dish, components which are easily coagulated such as magnesium ions and calcium ions contained in the water such as tap water are scaled. (Scale) and adheres to evaporating dishes and water supply pipes. Furthermore, if the humidifier is used for a long period of time, the scale accumulates to cover the evaporating surface of the evaporating dish and the efficiency of heat transfer from the evaporating dish to water is reduced. Will be consumed. Furthermore, in a humidifier, when the scale accumulates in the evaporating dish and the heat does not transfer from the evaporating dish to the water, when the evaporating dish is heated by the heater, the heat is accumulated in the evaporating dish and excessively heated. Sometimes. Further, scale may adhere to the water supply pipe and clog the pipe.

Therefore, when the humidifier is used for a long period of time, it is necessary to periodically remove the scale attached to the evaporating dish and the water supply pipe. Since this scale adheres firmly and firmly like a stone, it was difficult to remove the scale.

In view of the above, conventionally, water from which easily coagulating components such as magnesium ions and calcium ions have been removed using an ion exchange resin has been evaporated in an evaporating dish to prevent the scale from accumulating much, as shown in FIG. Humidifiers have been proposed.

In this humidifier, a water supply tank 14 is mounted in a housing of the humidifier main body 10 as shown in the figure, and water such as tap water stored in the water supply tank 14 is pushed open and closed to open and close the humidifier main body. It connects so that it may supply to 10 water supply system parts 16. A cartridge 18 filled with ion exchange resin is attached to a part of the water supply system 16. When the water passing through the cartridge 18 passes through the cartridge 18, the easily exchangeable scale components such as magnesium ions and calcium ions contained in the water such as tap water are converted by the ion exchange resin inside the cartridge 18. Adsorb.

[0007] In the humidifier in this manner, water from which scale components have been removed by the water purification cartridge 18 is supplied from the water supply system 16 to the evaporating dish 20, and the evaporating dish 20 is heated by the heater 22.
To generate steam, blow up the air by the fan 24, and send the air into the indoor air to humidify the indoor air.

[0008]

In the humidifier of the steam fan type described above, the water supply system 16 of the humidifier body 10 is used.
In order to arrange the large-sized water supply tank 14 on the upper part, it is necessary to keep the structural height of the water supply system 16 low. Therefore, the cartridge 18 arranged in the water supply system 16 is configured to purify water by passing water diagonally from the upper surface in the vertical direction to the side surface in the horizontal direction.

The cartridge 18 is formed by densely filling particles of an ion exchange resin having a diameter of 1 mm or less into a water passage case. In such a cartridge 18, when water is slowly and obliquely passed from the upper surface to the side surface to purify water, a portion where water easily flows inside the cartridge 18 and a portion where water hardly flows are formed.

For this reason, the ion-exchange resin in the cartridge 18, which is a portion where water easily flows, comes into contact with a large amount of water at an early stage and adsorbs scale components such as magnesium ions and calcium ions which are easily coagulated, thereby exchanging ions. Lose ability.

Then, as a whole of the cartridge 18,
Sufficient ion exchange capacity remains in the ion exchange resin in the portion of the ion exchange resin where water hardly circulates, and before the ion exchange capacity of all the ion exchange resins in the cartridge 18 is used up, the scale component is removed. There is a problem that the service life is shortened because the predetermined performance of adsorption is lost.

In consideration of the above facts, the present invention uses a cartridge constructed so that the service life of the cartridge can be completed by making full use of the ion exchange capacity of the ion exchange resin in the cartridge, and mounting the cartridge. An object of the present invention is to newly provide a water purification device and a humidifier to which the water purification device is attached.

[0013]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cartridge in which an ion exchange resin is filled in a case, and a wide water flow surface is provided on each of an upper surface and a bottom surface of the case. Characterized in that the length of water flow between the two water flow surfaces is reduced.

[0014] With the above configuration, the water is
Since all parts of the ion exchange resin filled in the cartridge flow evenly without forming a constant flow path, all parts of the ion exchange resin can be used on average. Further, when the cartridge is immersed in a solution for regenerating the ion exchange capacity, the solution easily flows through the inside of the cartridge, so that the operation for regenerating the ion exchange capacity can be performed well.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the cartridge according to the first aspect, wherein a water passage penetrating from a top surface to a bottom surface of the case is provided.

According to the above-described structure, a structure for supplying water from above the cartridge to the bottom surface is provided in the cartridge itself, and the structure of a piping system for passing water from the bottom surface to the top surface of the cartridge can be simplified. .

In the water purifier to which the cartridge according to the third aspect of the present invention is attached, the case is filled with ion exchange resin, and a wide water passage surface is provided on each of the top and bottom surfaces of the case. A cartridge having a short water flow length between the two water passage surfaces, and a water passage that penetrates between the two water passage surfaces disposed in a part of the case, and a water passage corresponding to the entire water passage surface on the bottom surface of the cartridge. A water purifier that detachably mounts the cartridge so as to provide a space for water supply, fills the space for water supply with water supplied from above the cartridge through a water channel, and supplies water from the bottom to the upper surface of the cartridge. Is characterized by flowing.

With the above-described structure, the structure for sending water from above to the bottom surface of the cartridge can be simplified, the height of the water purification device can be reduced, and the height of the water purification device can be reduced. It can be installed in short spaces.

In the water purifier additional humidifier according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the case is filled with an ion-exchange resin, and a wide water passage surface is provided on each of the top and bottom surfaces of the case. Using a cartridge that has a short water flow length between the water passage surfaces and a water passage that penetrates between the two water passage surfaces in a part of the case, the water passage corresponding to the entire water passage surface on the bottom of the cartridge Water is installed by detachably mounting the cartridge so as to provide a space for water, water supplied from above the cartridge is filled into the space for water conduction through the water channel, and water is purified by flowing water from the bottom to the top of the cartridge. The apparatus is characterized in that the apparatus is mounted, and the water purified by the water purification apparatus is heated and evaporated for humidification.

With the above-described structure, all the ion exchange resins in the cartridge can be effectively used to maintain the water purification action for a predetermined long period, and the ion exchange capacity of the ion exchange resin of the cartridge can be regenerated. For this reason, the maintenance work period can be lengthened, and the labor for the maintenance can be saved. Further, by configuring the humidifier using a water purification device having a reduced dimension in the height direction, the entire humidifier can be kept low and compact.

[0021]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A humidifier according to an embodiment of the cartridge of the present invention, a water purifier to which the cartridge is attached, and a water purifier additional humidifier will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIGS. 1 to 4, members corresponding to the members shown in FIG. 5 described above are denoted by the same reference numerals for convenience of explanation.

As shown in the overall schematic cross-sectional view of the humidifier in FIG. 1, a water supply tank 14, a spray unit 15, and a water supply tank 14 are provided inside the housing of the humidifier body 10.
And a water supply system 16 for supplying water to the water supply 5. Further, below the water supply tank 14 in the water supply system 16,
A water purification unit 26 to which the flat cartridge 19 is attached is configured.

The water supply tank 14 is formed as a sealable container provided with a water supply port (not shown) provided with a valve device 28 at the bottom and capable of being opened and closed by a cap 29 on the upper surface, and a handle 31 for carrying. ing. Water tank 1
4 is mounted in the housing of the humidifier body 10 with its valve device 28 facing the water purification device unit 26.

The valve device 28 is formed in a water passage cylinder 30 in a concave portion formed at the bottom of the water supply tank 14. The water passage cylinder 30 is integrally formed in a cylindrical shape having a predetermined height and penetrating the bottom surface of the concave portion of the water supply tank 14. A valve body 32 is attached to an opening portion in the water supply tank 14 in the water passage cylinder 30.

The valve body 32 is urged by the compression coil spring 36 to be pressed into the opening of the water flow tube 30 to prevent water from flowing out of the water flow tube 30. In addition, the valve body 32 pushes a valve shaft 34 protruding toward the outlet side of the water passage cylinder 30 against the urging force of the compression coil spring 36, whereby the valve body 32 Is pushed out of the opening of the water tank to open the opening,
It is configured so that water can be discharged from the water purification device section 26 side.

The water purifier unit 26 is configured by mounting a cartridge 19 in a tray tray 38 formed in a tray shape to receive water in a part of the water supply system unit 16.

As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG.
Reference numeral 9 denotes a flat, substantially rectangular hollow box-shaped case 40 in which a large number of particles of an ion exchange resin having a diameter of 1 mm or less (not shown) are densely packed. This case 40
The upper case 44 is fitted on the lower case part 42 and is combined in an integral box shape. Four vertical sides around the case 40 are formed of a plate material that is impermeable to water. Further, on the upper surface and the bottom surface of the case 40, a water-permeable surface portion 46 made of a mesh material that does not allow the particles of the ion-exchange resin to pass but has water-permeable properties is arranged. It is configured so that water can pass through to the water passage surface portion 46.

At the center of the case 40, a cylindrical water conduit section 48 is integrally provided. This headrace section 48
Has one cylindrical end extending from the upper surface of the water flow surface 46 by a predetermined height, and the other end opening thereof is open to the lower surface of the case 40, and From the other end opening. The water channel 48 may be provided at any position other than the center of the plane of the cartridge 19.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4, the water receiving tray 38 is formed in a recess slightly larger than the outer shape of the cartridge 19. At a peripheral portion on the bottom side of the water receiving tray 38, a support base 50 integrally formed so as to form an annular step toward the inside is provided. Further, a rod-shaped operation rod 52 having a predetermined height for operating the valve device 28 is integrally protruded from a central portion of a bottom surface of the water receiving tray 38.

In the water receiving tray 38 configured as described above, the cartridge 19 is placed in a state where the peripheral portion of the bottom of the case 40 is placed on the support base 50 and the operation rod 52 is loosely inserted into the water conduit 48. Attach. In the state attached in this way,
Between the bottom surface of the water receiving tray 38 and the bottom surface of the cartridge 19, a water guide chamber 54 for filling water is formed.

In the water purifier 26 with the cartridge 19 attached as described above, the end of the water passage tube 30 of the water supply tank 14 is slightly inserted into the water conduit 48 of the cartridge 19 as shown in FIGS. State. At the same time, in the valve device 28, the operation rod 52 pushes up the valve shaft 34, pushes out the valve body 32 from the opening of the water cylinder 30 to open the opening, and the water in the water supply tank 14 passes from the water cylinder 30 to the water purification unit. 26 side.

In the water purifier unit 26, the water in the water supply tank 14 flows from the water channel 30 through the water channel 48 to the water channel chamber 54 to fill the bottom surface. Further, water is evenly distributed from the entire surface of the water flow surface 46 on the bottom of the cartridge 19 to the case 4.
0, flows slowly between the many ion-exchange resins that are densely packed on average, and flows slowly, without creating an uneven flow of water between many ion-exchange resins. It flows to raise the water level without any. As described above, water flows between the ion exchange resins, and scale components which are easily coagulated such as magnesium ions and calcium ions are adsorbed and purified. At this time, the area of the water flow surface portion 46 is made larger than the opening area of the water flow
Water is allowed to flow slowly between the ion-exchange resins in 9, the time during which the water is in contact with the ion-exchange resin is increased, and the ions are sufficiently exchanged.
Then, the purified water flows out from the water passage surface portion 46 on the upper surface of the cartridge 19.

In the water purifier 26, when the water level rises to a predetermined level above the cartridge 19, the atmospheric pressure and the static pressure in the water supply tank 14 are balanced, and the water pressure in the water supply tank 14 is further increased. Water will not flow out from inside.

As described above, in the water purifier 26, the water supplied from the water supply tank 14 is guided from the upper part of the cartridge 19 to the lower water guiding chamber 54 by passing through the water conduit 48 provided in the cartridge 19. It is configured.
With this configuration, the valve device 2 of the water supply tank 14 can be used.
From 8, it is not necessary to provide a pipe that goes around the outside of the water receiving tray 38, draws it under the bottom plate, and communicates with the bottom plate outside the water receiving tray 38. Therefore, the water purifier unit 26 can keep the height dimension of the water purifier unit 26 low by the amount that the above-mentioned piping can be omitted, and the water receiving tray 38
Can be simplified. Further, the water guide chamber 54 is provided with the bottom plate of the water receiving tray 38 and the water passage surface 4 on the bottom surface of the cartridge 19.
6 so that the structure can be made compact without requiring a special member as the water guide chamber 54.

As described above, in the cartridge 19 used for water purification in the water purification unit 26, water flows evenly to all of the ion exchange resins filled therein, so that almost all the ion exchange resins are magnesium-free. Ions and calcium ions are adsorbed on average.

When the cartridge 19 is used for a long period of time, the ion exchange capacity of the ion exchange resin is lost, so that the ion exchange resin is regenerated. When the ion exchange resin is for exchanging magnesium ions, calcium ions, or the like with sodium chloride ions, the ion exchange resin can be regenerated by immersing the ion exchange resin in salt water. For this reason, the regeneration operation of the ion exchange resin is performed by removing the cartridge 19 from the water purification unit 26,
This can be performed by immersing the cartridge 19 in salt water in a container prepared in advance and leaving it for a required time.

The cartridge 19 is formed in the shape of a flat box, and the water-passing surface portions 46 on the upper surface and the bottom surface each have a large area, so that water can easily enter the cartridge 19. At the same time, the cartridge 19 is located on the upper surface 4
6 and the bottom surface 46 are short, so that water easily passes through the cartridge 19.

For this reason, the cartridge 19 can be immersed in the salt water so that the salt water spreads evenly over the ion-exchange resin filled in the cartridge 19 and comes into contact with a large amount of the salt water flowing through. Thus, exchange of magnesium ions, calcium ions, and the like adsorbed on the ion-exchange resin with sodium chloride ions in the salt water is promoted, so that the ions are quickly regenerated.

When the cartridge 19 is swung up and down in salt water, the distance between the upper water passage surface portion 46 and the lower water passage surface portion 46 is short. Work can be done in a shorter time.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the water supply system 16
, A water receiving tray 56 is formed adjacent to the water purification unit 26. The water receiving tray 56 is formed in a small water basin shape, and is configured so that the purified water flows out onto the upper surface of the cartridge 19 of the water purification device 26.

A part of the bottom surface of the water tray 56 has a wave plate 58
, A float sensor 60 is provided upright. The float sensor 60 detects whether or not the level of the water stored in the water supply system section 16 is at a predetermined level, based on the position where the float 64 movably inserted along the guide rod 62 floats on the water. It is configured to be.

The other end of the bottom surface of the water receiving tray 56 is connected to one end of a communication pipe 66 by opening. As shown in FIG. 3, the communication pipe 66 connects the other port to the spray unit 15.
Are formed as a series of tubes opening at the center of the evaporating dish 20. The water in the water receiving tray 56 is supplied to the evaporating tray 20 to a predetermined level by the communication pipe 66.

A heater (not shown) is disposed below the evaporating dish 20, and the heater is configured to heat the evaporating dish 20 to evaporate water in the evaporating dish 20.

The spray section 15 is provided with a fan device (not shown) that feeds air into a casing 68 provided so as to surround the evaporating dish 20, so that water vapor evaporating from the evaporating dish 20 is discharged from the top of the casing 68. It is configured to be released from the room 70 into the indoor air.

In the humidifier, when the water on the evaporating tray 20 evaporates and decreases, the water stored in the water supply tank 14 is purified by the water purifier 26 of the water supply system 16 and communicates with the water receiving tray 56. Water is automatically supplied to the evaporating dish 20 through the pipe 66. Therefore, the humidifier can continuously perform the operation of continuously evaporating water in the evaporating dish 20 and humidifying.

Next, the operation of the water purifier additional humidifier configured as described above will be described.

When the water supply tank 14 filled with water is set in the humidifier main body 10, the water in the water supply tank 14 passes from the opened valve device 28 to the water passage 48 of the cartridge 19 in the water purification device 26. The water is supplied into the water guide chamber 54. Then, the water spreads throughout the water guide chamber 54,
When the cartridge 19 passes from the water passage surface portion 46 on the bottom surface to the water passage surface portion 46 on the top surface, the cartridge 19 is purified by the ion exchange resin.

The water thus purified and having flowed out to the upper surface side of the cartridge 19 flows into the water receiving tray 56 of the water supply system 16 and is automatically supplied to the evaporating tray 20 through the communication pipe 66.

The water supplied to the evaporating dish 20 in this manner is purified to remove scale components, such as magnesium ions and calcium ions, which are easily coagulated. Next, when the humidification operation switch of the humidifier is turned on,
The control unit of the humidifier heats the evaporating dish 20 with the heater, and heats and evaporates the water on the evaporating dish 20, provided that the float sensor 60 detects that there is a predetermined level of water storage. At this time, when purified water evaporates on the evaporating dish 20, magnesium, calcium, and the like are less likely to precipitate, so that the amount of accumulated scale can be reduced.

Further, during the humidifying operation of the humidifier, the water in the water supply tank 14 is automatically supplied to the evaporating dish 20 as described above, so that the humidifying operation is performed until the humidifying operation switch of the humidifier is turned off. Operation continues. In this humidifier,
When there is no more water in the water supply tank 14, the water supply system 1
When the water level in the humidifier 6 drops and the float sensor 60 detects that the water level has fallen below a predetermined level, the humidifying operation switch of the humidifier is automatically turned off, and an alarm indicating the water supply timing is issued to the user. The humidifier is stopped.

When the humidifier has been used for a long time and the ion exchange capacity of the ion exchange resin of the cartridge 19 has decreased, the water supply tank 14 is removed from the humidifier, and the cartridge 19 under the humidifier is removed. Cartridge 1
9 is immersed in, for example, salt water to perform a regeneration operation of the ion exchange resin. The regenerated cartridge 19 is returned into the water purifier unit 26 of the humidifier, the water supply tank 14 is set, and the humidifier is returned to a usable state.

In the humidifier using the cartridge 19 as described above, since almost all of the ion exchange resin filled in the cartridge 19 can be used up to its capacity, the period of use of the cartridge 19 can be extended. Therefore, in this humidifier, the maintenance period for the ion-exchange resin regeneration operation can be lengthened, and the number of troublesome maintenance operations can be reduced.

In this embodiment, the water purifier additional humidifier has been described. However, the configuration of the cartridge can be applied as a cartridge of an apparatus for another use. Also, the water purification device equipped with this cartridge can of course be applied to devices other than the humidifier.

[0054]

As described above, according to the present invention, the water flow surface between the top surface and the bottom surface of the cartridge filled with the ion exchange resin is widened, and the length of water flow between these water flow surfaces is shortened. Water flows evenly through all parts of the ion exchange resin filled in the cartridge without creating a constant flow path. Therefore, the entire amount of the ion exchange resin can be used on average. Furthermore, when the cartridge is immersed in a solution for regenerating the ion exchange capacity, the flow of water is short and the solution easily flows through the inside of the cartridge because the flow length of the water is short. Can be.

Further, a part of the cartridge is provided with a water passage penetrating between the two water passage surfaces thereof, and a water purification device provided with the cartridge is provided with a space for water passage corresponding to the whole water passage surface on the bottom surface of the cartridge. , The water supplied from above the cartridge is passed through the headrace, filling the space for water supply,
When water is configured to flow from the bottom surface of the cartridge to the top surface, it is possible to omit a structure for separately providing a conduit for supplying water from above to the bottom surface of the cartridge in the water purification device. There is an effect that the height dimension can be shortened and the apparatus can be installed in a space having a short height dimension.

When a water purifier equipped with the above-mentioned cartridge is mounted on a humidifier and used, all the ion-exchange resins in the cartridge are effectively used to maintain the water purifying action for a predetermined long period. This makes it possible to lengthen the maintenance work period for regenerating the ion exchange capacity of the ion exchange resin of the cartridge, thereby saving time and effort. Further, by configuring the humidifier using a water purification device having a reduced dimension in the height direction, there is an effect that the height of the entire humidifier can be kept low and a compact configuration can be achieved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an overall schematic configuration of a water purifier additional humidifier according to an embodiment of a cartridge of the present invention, a water purifier to which the cartridge is attached, and a water purifier additional humidifier.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing a main part of the water purifier additional humidifier shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a main part of the water purifier additional humidifier shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view partially showing a main part of the water purifier additional humidifier shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the overall schematic configuration of a conventional humidifier.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Humidifier main body 14 Water supply tank 15 Spray part 16 Water supply system part 19 Cartridge 26 Water purification device part (Water purification device) 28 Valve device 30 Water passage cylinder 38 Water receiving tray 40 Case 46 Water passage surface part (water passage surface) 48 Water conduction path part (Water channel) 50 support base 54 water guide room (space for water guide)

Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat II (reference) F24F 6/02 F24F 6/02 B

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A case is filled with an ion exchange resin, and a wide water passage surface is provided on each of an upper surface and a bottom surface of the case, and a flow length of water between both water passage surfaces in the case is reduced. A cartridge characterized by the above-mentioned. 2. The cartridge according to claim 1, further comprising a water passage penetrating from the top surface to the bottom surface of the case. 3. A case is filled with an ion-exchange resin, and a wide water flow surface is provided on each of an upper surface and a bottom surface of the case to reduce a flow length of water between both water surfaces in the case. A cartridge provided with a water passage penetrating between the two water passage surfaces in a part of the case, and a space for water passage corresponding to the entire water passage surface on the bottom surface of the cartridge, and the cartridge is detachable. A water purification device attached to the cartridge, filling water supplied from above the cartridge through the water conduit into the space for water conduction, and flowing water from the bottom surface to the top surface of the cartridge. Water purification device with a cartridge. 4. A case in which an ion exchange resin is filled in a case, and a wide water passage surface is provided on each of an upper surface and a bottom surface of the case, and a flow length of water between both water passage surfaces in the case is reduced. A cartridge provided with a water guide channel penetrating between the two water flow surfaces in a part of the case, and providing a water guide space corresponding to the entire water flow surface on the bottom surface of the cartridge; The cartridge is detachably attached, the water supplied from above the cartridge is filled in the space for water passage through the water passage, and a water purification device for purifying water by flowing water from the bottom surface to the top surface of the cartridge is mounted. A humidifier characterized by humidifying by evaporating water purified by the water purification device.